NORTH COAST, Calif. – After 31 days of searching for a suspect in two August homicides, Mendocino County's sheriff said that he's not planning on giving up until the search comes to a safe and successful conclusion.
Sheriff Tom Allman held a Monday press conference in Fort Bragg to update the community on the search for 35-year-old Aaron James Bassler, who has been on the run since shooting to death Fort Bragg Councilman Jere Melo, 69, on timberland six miles east of Fort Bragg on Aug. 27.
Bassler, who reportedly has a history of mental health issues, is the lead suspect not just in Melo's fatal shooting but in the Aug. 11 murder of 44-year-old Matthew Coleman, a Mendocino Land Trust land manager shot and killed in a remote forest area near Westport, according to sheriff's officials.
The search, said Allman, so far has yielded a lot of evidence and information. Thanks to the assistance of the California Department of Justice, Allman said his agency had DNA evidence that confirmed Bassler was at the scene of Coleman's murder.
The search for Bassler is the largest in the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office's history, Allman said.
It's continuing on land and by air, the latter as conditions allow, the sheriff said, with no plan to stop until Bassler – who Allman called “a very dangerous man with the ability to do further homicides” – is apprehended.
Allman emphasized that his main goal was that Bassler be brought into custody safely.
“We want this to end without a gunshot,” Allman said. “We want this to end peacefully.”
Allman said the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, the United States Marshals Service and members of a number of agencies from around the North Coast and the state – including the Lake County Sheriff's Office – have been working on the case around the clock for the last 31 days, in an operation that so far is estimated to have cost Mendocino County more than $200,000.
While Bassler isn't yet in custody, Allman said he believes they're getting closer.
“We have every reason to believe he's still in the original area” where Melo's homicide occurred, said Allman.
But that area is vast – Allman said it's a 400-square-mile area of Mendocino County forest that Bassler has explored for the last 30 years, since he was a small child, and where family and friends have told authorities he's been known to survive for months at a time.
A $30,000 reward is being offered for information leading to Bassler's arrest, but Allman emphasized that they are not looking for public participation in the search, just solid leads.
On Monday Allman released a picture taken of Bassler within the last two weeks as he allegedly burglarized a remote vacation cabin.
The black-and-white picture – captured with one of about 40 cameras set up around the search area – showed Bassler carrying a large caliber assault rifle, and wearing a jacket similar to one he was seen wearing by a Humboldt County deputy two weeks ago. Allman said they believe Bassler also is carrying a sidearm.
There have been numerous burglaries in the area of Melo's homicide – both before and after the shooting for which authorities believe Bassler is responsible – Allman said. In one of these burglaries, a shotgun and .22 rifle were taken.
During the press conference Allman also revealed that the search has turned up cache sites – believed to have belonged to Bassler – where ammunition was found.
Allman said his office is working with the families of Coleman and Melo to keep them updated on the situation as it unfolds. “The victims' families are very important to the sheriff's office,” he said.
He emphasized the need for anyone in the area to be aware of their surroundings, adding, “We do not believe that Bassler is hunting any individuals,” but rather appears to want to be left alone.
Both Coleman and Melo were shot while walking into areas where Bassler already was present, Allman said.
Allman said Bassler does not appear to have any cell phone or two-way radio in his possession.
Bassler was last seen about two weeks ago when a Mendocino County Sheriff's dog made brief contact with him, according to statements on Monday.
Since the dog incident, Allman said they've increased the presence of dogs in the search, with Riverside County Sheriff's Office and Murrieta Police Department bringing in their bloodhounds.
Dogs are an important component of the search, with the dense brush and trees and low visibility a challenge to infrared technology. In such cases, Allman said the best tool is a dog.
“The bloodhounds are continuing to give us what we think is the best source of information,” Allman said.
Allman said some citizens have reported possible sightings of Bassler since he was last seen two weeks ago, and sheriff's office staff and SWAT team members are responding to such reports. There also have been reports that Bassler may be dressing as a female.
Although the rainy season is right around the corner – it's normal for the rains to arrive in mid-October – Allman said he doesn't see the weather ending the search.
“I do not see an end in sight in the search for Bassler until we get to a resolution,” he said.
Allman said an area lodging association has donated dozens of rooms for members of the search, restaurants are donating meals and timber companies were putting on a barbecue for the search teams on Monday night. He added that Harvest Market has donated thousands of dollars in food.
“Fort Bragg has come together in ways we never would have expected,” Allman said.
He said he has reason to believe the search is getting closer to ending in Bassler's arrest. “When it happens, it's going to happen quick.”
When there is a resolution, Allman guaranteed that the information will go out “as fast as possible so people can breathe a little bit easier that our county is going to be safe.”
In addition to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office and US Marshals Service, agencies listed as taking part in the search included the Mendocino County District Attorney's Office, Fort Bragg Police Department, Willits Police Department, Ukiah Police Department, Cal Fire, Lake and Humboldt County Sheriff's offices, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, state and federal Departments of Justice, the Civil Air Patrol, several local fire departments, California Department of Fish and Game and the National Guard.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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